'Vakeel Saab' hit the screens today (April 9) amid huge fanfare. Here is our review of the latest BO release.

Story:

Three female roommates (Nivetha Thomas, Anjali and Ananya Nagalla) living in Hyderabad find themselves in a soup when they go to a resort with three male acquaintances. The first of these is accused of an attempt to murder by one of the male persons (played by Vamshi Krishna), who is the son of a political heavyweight. It's now up to lawyer Satyadev (Pawan Kalyan), who comes with an inspiring past, to bail out the troubled women. How he argues their case and what kind of enlightening arguments he makes, is what defines 'Vakeel Saab'.

In lawyer Nandha (Prakash Raj), we see a representative of the patriarchal mindset.
 
Analysis:

At a time when remakes have become predictable, 'Vakeel Saab' sticks to the core message of 'Pink' (Hindi, released in 2016). Where it is fulfilling is in how it enriches the courtroom scenes with Pawan-style of swag and attitude. The scene where he asks a male defendant whether he is a virgin defines the smart tweaking that director Venu Sriram has done with deftness.

The Hindi original faced criticism for dramatizing the courtroom scenes. Thanks to Pawan Kalyan's image and the way he brings a certain irreverence to the table, the courtroom scenes don't look too heavy here. At the same time, they effectively convey the intended message.

Like in 'Pink', the Telugu remake has three female victims and four male antagonists. The film also retains the character of a good-natured landlord (Subalekha Sudhakar). The way the film plays out the misogynistic judgements that hurt the women is authentic. There is no playing spoilsport anywhere. Director Venu Sriram and his dialogue-writer (Mamidala Thirupathi) deliver a consistent output through and through.

Director Venu Sriram, borrowing material from 'Pink', displays clarity of thought. To his credit, he also makes the interrogations in the courtroom look phenomenal.

The film could have been way better with respect to the flashback episodes in the first half. They are not crucial to the story; they are attuned to the political crusader image of Power Star. Sayaji Shinde as a politician, Nagineedu as a cop and Shruti Haasan as his admirer-turned-wife don't add much to the proceedings.

In the first 35 minutes, we see Pawan only in two moments. There are quite a few action scenes, staged by Ravi Varma and A Vijay, and they are enlivened by the superstar. The metro train fight in the third act, one feels, is forced. However, if you are a fanboy/fangirl, you will root for it.

Thaman's background music is dashing. The elevations are more pronounced and that's how they had to be. PS Vinod's cinematography makes the best use of Rajeevan's production design, which is in step with the genre.

The film is made memorable by Pawan's impeccable performance in the courtroom segments. His toughness is punctuated by some of the sardonic moments (read the scene where he calls a female cop a superwoman). It helps that Prakash Raj looks the unethical lawyer he is every bit. Vamshi Krishna could have been fleshed out better.

Nivetha Thomas and Anjali look stunning when they cry, and show utter helplessness and pain in the interrogation scenes in the court. Ananya of 'Mallesham' fame draws sympathy without getting melodramatic.

Verdict:

'Vakeel Saab' is a winsome courtroom drama that shames the prevailing misogyny and anti-women mindsets. Pawan Kalyan milks his ease and swag to make the proceedings appealing to the mass audience.

వకీల్ సాబ్ మూవీ రివ్యూ తెలుగులో చదవండి